


Somewhere To Hide

by Ohmyjoshh



Series: Joshler ABO Choose-Your-Own-Adventure! [1]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Abuse, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Anxiety, Bottom Josh, Bottom Tyler, Deal With It, Dissociation, Gay Sex, I know he's married, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Switching, Top Josh, Top Tyler, Underage Sex, but its cute, not explicit, only mentioned - Freeform, sorry for the weird jon/debby pairing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-09-18 01:09:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9357713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohmyjoshh/pseuds/Ohmyjoshh
Summary: Josh is an alpha, and he presents upon finding his omega being bullied for presenting as a male omega in a world where omegas are pretty much only females.**Previously known as The Angsty One**





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> So I had this prompt that I gave myself during work today, but I couldn't decide what direction I wanted to go in (it was between two), so I'm going to write both! This is the more angsty adventure, and tomorrow I'll post the eerily similar part one of the happier one. Enjoy!

Josh was a pillar of manliness, even at 14. He was strong, athletic, and dominating. It was exhausting. Josh wished he was a beta. Beta was the rarest of statuses, and betas were special, and they could have whoever they wanted as a mate. Josh hated the idea of everything being predetermined for him, when betas could just live their lives. Josh only knew three betas personally, partly due to the fact that almost everyone Josh knew was a friend from school, and most people didn’t present until senior year. None of that mattered anyway, because Josh knew he was destined to be an alpha, just like his father was, and his father before him. He would be a hot-headed, unintelligent alpha, useful only for brute strength and knotting some omega whenever he was allowed. That was just how it worked: Omegas are the caring, smart women who keep the family together, betas are the free, easygoing rarity, and alphas are the thick, one-track-minded men that are only good for reproducing. Betas could be either male or female, which wasn’t really the case in alphas or omegas except in very rare cases Josh read about in health class. Despite having the strength, alphas were almost always outsmarted by the other classes, and once mated, the alpha was essentially a slave to his omega. Josh was due to present in only a few years, and POOF!—There goes his brain cells. That’s how it seemed to be for everyone else.

Josh made the mistake of voicing this complaint to his mother once, and he got quite the lecture that night. She spent half the night insisting that she and Josh’s father were a team, and Josh’s dad was smart and wonderful, and she would never have chosen anyone else, even if she had a choice, blah blah blah. But how messed up was that? Even Josh’s mom would admit that Josh didn’t have a choice. They didn’t see anything wrong with that, of course. They were both very well-off and high on the ladder in their respective careers. They each managed to mate with someone just as obsessed with reputation and money as themselves. Josh’s mom was always making demands and trying to make the family look good, and Josh’s dad was always tucking his tail between his legs (metaphorically, of course) and frantically working himself to death to appease her. The whole thing disgusted Josh.

Not to mention the idea of rutting! Josh was going to become a slave to his dick? His brain would just short-circuit and his need to get off would come first, even before the safety of others? Josh didn’t want to be this monster, not one bit.

+

Josh was shuffling across campus with his friends one day when he learned how wrong he was about everything, and his entire view on life and statuses changed in seconds, just like everyone told him it would. Josh and his friends had math together, so they met up by the English building to head to the math and science building on the other side of campus. Josh was rounding the corner of the sidewalk when he saw a group of kids sneering and laughing at something he couldn’t see right at the edge of the raised sidewalk towards the gym. Josh felt queasy right away, knew something was wrong. He and his friends approached the group curiously, and Josh was still trying to see what everyone was making fun of when the smell hit him. It was overwhelmingly sweet and musky, like flowers in a freshly rained-on forest. Josh had less than a second to think “wow that smells great!” before something short-circuited in his brain, the sudden click he’d always feared, and then Josh was throttling the entire group one-by-one, throwing a few to the side, and decking a couple, before the rest got the message and scattered. Josh was met with a large ditch at the edge of the boardwalk, but he could see a dark little crawlspace underneath, and he could hear pitiful cries pouring out of the crawlspace along with the smell. He dropped to the ground and flung himself towards the small opening before he could think twice.

He couldn’t fit inside, but he climbed as close in as he could, blocking most of the sunlight with his upper half. It took his eyes a second to adjust, and when they did, the sight had his stomach dropping. It was a boy, curled into fetal position and sobbing, and he was undoubtedly Josh’s mate, and he was inches from Josh’s face. Josh continued to act on instinct, shoving his arms into the hole to wrap them around the small ball of boy and cradle him to his chest. The boy jumped and cried harder, but Josh could already smell how he was flooding the boy’s little hideout cave with his alpha sent, trying to calm him down.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, they’re gone. Nobody’s gonna mess with you anymore,” Josh soothed, rubbing the boy’s back as best he could manage in the awkward angle. The boy quieted and sniffled, and the sniffle seemed to do a great deal to relax him, suddenly boneless in Josh’s arms. Josh had a surge of self-satisfied power rush when he realized it was his scent having that effect on him. Josh quickly shook the feeling to focus on more pressing matters. “What’s your name?” He whispered after a beat. He was met with silence and he thought he wasn’t going to get an answer when he finally heard the boy speak.

“Tyler,” he croaked out hoarsely. His voice was music to Josh’s ears, and Josh was so overwhelmed by the sudden affection he felt for a stranger, he almost forgot to respond.

“Tyler. Nobody will hurt you anymore. I’ll protect you now,” Josh said matter-of-factly, in a voice loaded with more affection than he was entirely comfortable with. The boy pressed closer to Josh in response, but Josh didn’t get a chance to feel happy about it before Tyler was groaning and crying again. Josh whimpered pathetically, distressed, and Tyler managed to choke out, “hurts,” by way of explanation. Josh knew the feeling. He felt like all his bones were bruised and his skin was on fire, not to mention the absolutely raging hard-on he was studiously ignoring. His omega would come before anything else, and Josh would do what he had to do to protect him.

Josh held onto Tyler for a few more minutes while the last of the students filed to class, deciding being late wasn’t worth watching whatever Josh was doing on the ground. Once the late bell rang out, and Josh didn’t hear any other sounds, he decided it was safe to emerge. He began to shuffle backwards, scooping Tyler along with him. Tyler made a weak noise of protest, but Josh quickly shushed him, cooing and pouring off more of his scent. Tyler finally unfurled himself, just enough to release his arms and wrap them around Josh’s neck, his face buried in it as well, with his nose pressed up under Josh’s ear. Josh stood, bringing Tyler up with him to carry bridal-style towards the nurse’s office. Josh was shaking with adrenaline, and with the effort of keeping himself reigned in. There was a very large, very strong part of Josh that wanted to mate Tyler, and he knew Tyler would let him, in heat and weak as he was. Josh was sick to him stomach as he carried Tyler back across campus. 

When he arrived at the clinic, he busted in to tower over the nurse and some student that she was about to apply a band-aid to.

“Out,” He barked at the kid, an alpha command, and the kid flew out of there like lightning, band-aid forgotten. Considering the strong smells from the two boys, he didn’t have to say anything to the nurse, and he knew it, so he just walked over to the cot and made himself comfortable, continuing to cradle Tyler to his chest protectively. The nurse was stiff and pale, looking petrified, and she picked up her phone with forced calmness. “Sir, we have a 2319,” she said into the receiver. Josh could hear the commotion from the other end while the person on the other side flooded her with questions, but she just placed the receiver back onto the base, staring at Josh with fear and wonder in her eyes. Josh disregarded her to pull away and look down at Tyler properly for the first time. Tyler looked up at him curiously, his arms still wrapped around Josh’s neck, and Josh was met with beautiful honey-caramel-butterscotch irises, big and round and bright. He had a perfectly symmetrical face, nice full lips and a cute button-nose. He was the most beautiful thing Josh had ever seen, and Josh couldn’t believe he was so lucky.

Their little staring contest ended much too soon, interrupted by a swat team busting into the clinic and coming straight for Josh. He had a moment to wonder why they would possibly be coming for Josh, but his question was answered when the first man reached for Tyler. A snarl ripped from Josh and he used the arm that was no longer around Tyler to fling the man backwards with a well-aimed shove to his chest. Josh flipped and laid Tyler onto the clinic’s cot, taking stance to make a sort of cage around him as the other men filed straight in. He was growling and snarling, fighting with all his strength, but it was no use. There were too many of them. They finally managed to hold him still while one of them quickly pressed a needle into the soft part of his arm and then Josh felt too tired to keep his eyes open.


	2. Two

When Josh stirred, he was aware of a few things: his body ached something fierce, he was pretty sure he was on fire, he was achingly hard, and he was home in his bed. His eyes sprung open and he looked around quickly, feeling like he’d been startled out of a bad dream. But he knew what was real—he had found his mate, and now his mate was gone. He immediately noticed the lock on his door, the one his mother used to use to lock him in his room when he misbehaved. There was also a case of water bottles beside his bed, and aside from those details, everything was just how he left it this morning. He attempted to get out of bed, but he felt so weak and sore now, and it was so hard for him to focus on anything but his primal need to get off. He reached down to palm at himself, hoping to give himself some relief, but it only made his need stronger. He was shucking his pants and boxers off in seconds, stroking himself in earnest and whining high in his throat, because this was it; this was the part he had been so afraid of. He was powerless, he was weak, and he was so desperate. But worst of all, he was alone.

It was another three hours and five orgasms before Josh heard a knock on his door. He perked up from where he had been curled around his pillow resting.

“Josh, you need to eat. I’ll be sliding your meals under your door. Your rut should be over within the week. Until then, you can stay in there. Your mother doesn’t need any outbursts while we’re entertaining guests,” There’s a hesitant pause, “Hang in there, son,” His dad said weakly, and Josh could be sure that that last bit was not in the script Josh’s mom gave him. Josh could hear the sound of a hatch opening and a tray sliding on the floor, sounds he hadn’t heard since he was a child. He managed about fifteen minutes of grumpily refusing the food, but he was undeniably ravenous after all the self-pleasure, and he knew he would need the fuel. It was notoriously dangerous for an alpha to skip meals during a rut, so with his head hung low, he dragged himself over to the food tray and hunched over it, leaving the plate completely empty after two minutes. He shoved it back under the door hatch aggressively before climbing back into bed.

+

The next day, Josh discovered a patch on the shoulder of his shirt (which he still hasn’t changed) where Tyler had rested his head, his neck pressed against the sleeve and rubbing with the movements of Josh carrying him to the clinic. Josh sniffed at this area furiously, on all fours but for his right hand—the hand that wasn’t attached to the shoulder he was sniffing—which was instead wrapped around his dick. Josh fucked into his hand, imagining it was Tyler as he took in Tyler’s leftover scent. The subsequent climax Josh had was so intense that he actually managed to soften and fall asleep for a short while.

When he awoke, it was to the smell of food, and he bounded over to the tray on his floor, ravenous. The food gave him enough energy to have another furious masturbation session, though Tyler’s scent was quickly dissipating. He wanted him so bad, and he could’ve had him. Could’ve mated him right there instead of taking him to the nurse—God, what was he thinking? Josh realized what he was thinking the second after the thought entered his head, and he was so disgusted with himself that he started flagging. He curled up and whined, exhausted and in pain both physically and emotionally. And still, all alone.

After five more days of torture, Josh awoke with a start, covered in sweat, cold for the first time all week, and thoroughly disgusted with himself. He dragged himself out of bed and straight into the shower, standing under the spray for a long time just crying, out of shame, and sorrow for the loss of his mate. It was stupid, he knew, because he didn’t even know the guy, _Tyler_ , but he wasn’t there, and Josh had had to go through his rut alone, and he didn’t know if Tyler was safe, and he just felt sensitive and emotional in general. So he cried and cried, probably loud enough for his parents to have heard if they had been upstairs. After thoroughly scrubbing himself down, he reemerged to find his bed stripped of its bedding and his door open, as well as his windows. His fan was on and air freshener with scent blocker had been sprayed throughout. For once, Josh was grateful for his parents’ micromanaging.

He descended the stairs easily, feeling rejuvenated after his much-needed shower, to find his mother sitting at the dining table expectantly. There was a lavish breakfast spread on the table space across from her.

“Joshua, take a seat,” She stated cooly, gesturing at the chair across from herself. Josh sat down and, at her nod of assent, tucked in to the meal. As he chewed, his mother began to speak. “I don’t know how much you remember, but you presented as an alpha, going into your first rut in school. You hurt several other kids and a few officers of the law. Luckily, they’re from the Cycle-Related Violence Response Team, so they’re used to dealing with that sort of nonsense. Volatile behavior, really. In any case, your father and I have decided that it would be best to… remove the family from that situation. We’ve arranged to transfer our work to California, and we’ve spent the week traveling back and forth to look at houses,” Josh quit chewing as her words began to sink in. Moving. Away. From Tyler. His mate. Despite the fact that Josh didn’t even know this kid, his alpha was kicking and screaming, and his alpha still had a lot of control this soon after his rut. A growl ripped from his throat before he could stop himself, and he was bending the silver fork in his hand.

“Now, cut that out! That behavior will not be tolerated in this house, do you understand me?” Josh’s mother interrupted her monologue to bark. Being given orders by an omega did not help matters at all, and before Josh knew it, he was slamming his fists into the table. It didn’t do much damage, as Josh was weak post-rut, and his mother was soon taking a fistful of his hair, dragging him off of his chair and towards garage door. “Alright Joshua, we’ll do this the hard way, then. I tried to be pleasant. But a male omega, Joshua, really? Do you know how damaging that is to our reputation? Our only son mating with some mutated freak of nature!” Josh growled again, completely out of his control, and his mother used her free hand to strike Josh in the face. His growl dissolved into a whimper. “You can’t have a male omega for a mate, Joshua. I will not allow it in this family, we are proper and traditional, and your father and I have worked so hard to make a name for this family, I will not have you tarnish that name like this! Your room in California is ready, get in the car and wait for your ride to the airport,” With this, his mother let go of Josh’s hair with a shove of his head towards the door. Josh jumped to his feet and ran towards the car, climbing into the back pitifully and whimpering all the while. He sat out there for just over an hour before his parents emerged, his father looking somewhat sheepish. Josh knew he probably tried defending his son, but it was no use against his omega. You don’t disobey your mate.

They didn’t speak to each other at all in the car, not when his parents get in the car, not on the ride to the airport, and not when they boarded the plane. Josh’s parents made their way towards first class and Josh curled up in his seat in coach, wishing he at least had a window seat. He didn’t look out the window as the plane boarded, he didn’t think of his friends—or of Tyler, and he didn’t cry. He was scared, depressed, and so angry. And more than anything else, he was alone.

+

Josh had no trouble acclimating in California. He was from a rich, notable family; the Dun name was an instant social advance. He was very bright, and very dedicated to his studies. It was hard not to be, considering he didn’t care much about anything or anyone. They had been in California for about three months when Josh was called in to his parents’ study. When he entered the room, they were both sitting at their desks, and one of the two chairs on the opposite side held a pretty, dainty redhead.

“Joshua,” his mother smiled and gestured towards the girl, “We’d like you to meet Debby, she’s Doctor Ryan’s daughter,” She said proudly. Josh approached her cautiously, shaking her hand politely. She had a surprisingly firm grip, and she smiled charmingly at Josh, but there seemed to be an edge to her smile, somewhere in her eyes. She didn’t seem to mind being appointed to Josh; he was rich and handsome and intelligent, why would she mind? But against all odds, she was very down to earth and funny, and the two greatly enjoyed each other’s company, becoming best friends in a matter of weeks. And then, Josh’s rut began.

“We’ve arranged for you to spend your rut with Debby,” His mother divulged over breakfast, upon smelling the change in Josh’s pheromones. “Her parents will allow you two to stay in their summer home, which is very gracious of them. When you return here, with Debby freshly mated, you will be sending Dr. Ryan a thank you letter.” Josh did not seem to have much of a choice in the matter, so he and Debby sat in the back of the car while the chauffer whisked them away to Wherever. When they arrived, Josh’s rut was just on this side of ignorable, but it wouldn’t be long. Debby smiled at him sympathetically. The sex was not so bad, but Josh couldn’t find it in himself to knot her, much less mate her, even in his rut. So he pulled out and finished himself off with his hand. But she was accommodating enough, and this rut was not so bad as those before it. The disappointment was clear on Josh’s mother’s face when they saw Debby with no mate mark. His father looked sympathetic and afraid for Josh, and Josh would never be able to respect that man. He was the most pathetic alpha in history. Josh smiled sharply at them before he and Debby retreated to his room. When they were up in Josh’s room, sprawled out on his bed, Josh turned his head to look at her, and she really was beautiful.

“What about your real mate, Deb? I mean I know I’ll never see mine again, but is there not still hope for yours?” Josh inquired.

“I don’t know. I’ve never met him. But it doesn’t matter who it is, just like it doesn’t matter who yours is. Our parents decide for us,” She said, sounding dejected and resigned.

“It’s not fair,” Josh whispered. Debby smiled sadly at him, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead, and he held her until the sun set that night. They were both sad and empty, but at least they weren’t alone.


	3. Three

It’s been almost four years since the move to California, and in that time, Josh has become unsure of who he is anymore, who he ever was going to be, if anyone at all. He experiments with drugs, with sex, with self-harm. With anything. None of it really helps to ease the loss of his mate, other than serving as a distraction. Nothing numbs the pain, nothing helps him move on. At least, for this reason, Josh has never formed any addiction or dependence on anyone or anything.

After several months sleeping with Debby during his ruts, Josh finally confessed to her that he would prefer to be with a man. Debby seemed unfazed, as though she had been expecting such a proclamation all the while. She knew Josh’s mate was a man, she was there when he knotted his own hand instead of her, when he bit the pillow over her shoulder instead of her mating gland. Of course, that had nothing to do with her gender, Josh wouldn’t mate anybody, male or female. Anybody except Tyler. Debby ended up sleeping in the master of the summer home since then, so Josh can bring men into the guest suite during his ruts. Debby doesn’t seem to mind much at all.

They continue to be best friends, and Josh finally feels like he has someone he can open up to. She doesn’t entirely understand Josh, can’t entirely relate to how broken he is. There’s only one person out there who could understand. But Debby understands that she never could understand, which is a hell of a lot more than anyone else seems capable of understanding about Josh.

It’s three weeks before Josh’s nineteenth birthday, and his parents have awarded him with absolutely nothing. Josh, admittedly, hasn’t been entirely deserving of an extra gift. Despite not actually loving Josh at all, his position as their sole heir makes him have value in their life, which means he does get things from them. He gets a trust fund, for starters, to which he has been allowed access since his eighteenth birthday. He has proposed the idea of using a portion to put a down payment on a house for himself and Debby, which thrilled his parents, and they’ve since hired him a realtor. They’ve also hired him a personal lawyer, which has come in handy considering all the sex and drugs Josh has dabbled with. All in all, Josh has more at nineteen than most people get all their lives. He may be dead inside, heart permanently fractured, but he’s nothing if not grateful.

“Josh, you know what would be the best thing for your birthday?” Debby proposes to the ceiling of Josh’s bedroom. There is more of an echo than usual, Josh’s things already packed into boxes for the new home he hasn’t chosen yet. Josh hums curiously, in response to her question. “Taking me shopping,” Debby answers cheekily. For all that Josh hasn’t spent much of his trust fund on himself, he certainly keeps Debby cared for. She deserves it, in any case.

“That’s not a bad idea. I could go for some mall time, honestly. Get me the fuck out of here,” Josh remarks with a grin in her direction. She grins back and rolls over until she’s off the bed, catching herself gracefully on her feet and holding her hands out to help Josh up. Josh takes her hands happily and bounds out after her. They forgo the chauffeur to walk to the mall, close to Josh’s parents’ centrally-located city home. They’re only about a block away when Debby says something that has Josh throwing his head back and howling with laughter. And then Josh smells it. Flowers. Trees. Rain. _Tyler_. The smile drops from his face, becoming sober and quietly frantic as he shifts his vision over everyone around them. The streets are crowded, it’s a beautiful sunny day in Los Angeles and everyone is in a hurry, moving in flurries around Josh. There is one person who isn’t moving, still in the crowd and therefore instantly noticeable, staring a hole into Josh. He’s only a handful of steps away, and Josh stalks towards him at a quick pace, shoving through people as Debby races in tiny, dainty steps to keep up, confused as all Hell. When Josh reaches him, he stops a few strides away, just staring and circling. Tyler keeps a sharp eye on him, watching him circle. It’s much different from their first meeting, much closer to what it should’ve been, if Josh had been like other alphas. Josh moves in after a few seconds of staring, after noticing the bites on Tyler’s mating mark, and Josh is growling and hauling Tyler in and biting down before he knows he’s moved. His rut hits him like a ton of bricks, a week early, spurred on by the pheromones of his mate and far more intense than any rut Josh has ever had. He hears Tyler’s sharp cry cut into the air, stopping some of the people around them as they realize what’s gone on. He hears Debby’s loud, shocked gasp. He hears some people yell about calling for help. But Tyler isn’t moving away, Tyler is holding on tight to Josh’s shoulders, tight enough to hurt. Josh tastes blood between his teeth, having bitten a little too hard. But Tyler is still holding on so tight.

Josh scoops Tyler up to make a getaway, and Tyler wraps his legs around Josh instinctively, and then Josh is running, around a corner here and behind a building there, until he can’t hear the chaos he created anymore, until no one else is chasing him. He rounds one final corner into a thin alley way between two buildings. There are two dumpsters and three doors, everything seems dark and wet for some reason, and Josh finally drops Tyler, landing gracefully on his feet. Josh doesn’t go far, buries his nose back into the boy’s neck and inhales deep, and his exhale is a sob, followed by several more. He can’t help himself. Tyler seems to understand, holding Josh with one arm and petting his hair with the free hand. For all that he offers comfort, Tyler isn’t any more composed than Josh, crying gross and ugly in a dingy alley in the outskirts of LA.

Josh’s sobs become whimpers, which go from sad to desperate and urgent, and then Josh is pinning Tyler to the wall and pressing his hips forward. Tyler’s breath quickens and he’s nodding with finality, looking terrified and determined. Josh can smell his heat, and it’s subtle, probably something Tyler can barely even feel, still ignorable. But it’s undeniably started, and Josh wants to take. Wants to finally make Tyler’s his, just because he finally can. He isn’t operating under and delusion that this will fix things, that he’ll be able to keep Tyler after this, but he knows that these last four years of Hell have driven him to regret not mating Tyler when he found him in high school, instead of being proud of taking care of him. Nobody ever once pointed out that he was in a rut, and his mate was in a heat, and he protected. All these alphas using their ruts as an excuse to take what they want and Josh was living proof that being in a rut doesn’t excuse shit, and what’s it gotten him? A dead end life, that’s what. Josh won’t miss his chance this time, and Tyler seems to agree.

Josh is operating on instinct when he presses his lips to Tyler’s, but everything stops then, the whole world, while it catches up with Josh that this is his first kiss with his mate. The aggression melts out of Josh’s body language, and he removes his hands from Tyler’s hips to reach up and gently cup his cheeks, holding him still so Josh can taste. He uses his tongue to press everything he’s felt for the past four years into Tyler’s mouth, the emptiness and sorrow and fear and loneliness. The muted, confused, unexplored affection. How much he _missed_ Tyler, every second of every day for four years. Tyler, for his part, is pressing these things right back, and the aggression is slowly returning, the urgency Josh was feeling since he caught Tyler’s scent however long ago in the crowded street.

He keeps one hand cupped over Tyler’s jawline and uses the other one to rip Tyler’s jeans straight off, giving his boxers the same treatment a second after. Tyler uses this time to fumble Josh’s own jeans and boxers off with both hands, immediately wrapping a hand around Josh’s length and stroking slowly. Josh grunts and reaches his hand back to trace his fingertips over Tyler’s opening, dripping slick down his thighs. Josh can smell it, so thick and strong in the confined space of the alleyway. Tyler rocks his hips back against Josh’s fingers, but Josh is already pulling them up to his face to break his kiss with Tyler and suck in greedily. Josh growls around his fingers at the taste, instinctively grinding his hips forwards and pressing his dick against Tyler’s. Both men groan, and then Josh is hauling Tyler up, his legs wrapping around Josh once more, and Josh pushes in without a moment’s hesitation. Tyler makes pitiful whining noises, but he’s pressing his hips back to get Josh in deeper, so Josh presses in more steadily still, until he’s bottomed out, buried to the hilt in his mate like he never thought he would be.

“Oh, _God_ ,” Tyler whispers, and Josh pulls back to look at his face. His eyes are glazed over, his mouth hanging ajar and his cheeks tinted a deep pink. Josh sees peace in his eyes, absolute euphoria, nirvana. It’s the same way Josh is feeling, and he wonders if Tyler can see it in his eyes too. Josh’s knot forms almost immediately, and every tiny move is tighter and harder, and draws higher, louder sounds from Tyler as he scrabbles helplessly at Josh’s back. Josh keeps jarring himself deeper inside of Tyler, and Tyler is so loud. It’s mostly noises, but then it’s words, tons of words being babbled into Josh ear. “It’s so much, oh God, I didn’t know it would be so much,” and Josh isn’t even sure what that means but listening to Tyler sound so desperate that he’s babbling nonsense has him suddenly too close.

“Oh, fuck, m’coming,” is all the warning Josh manages to choke out before he’s coming hard, biting down on Tyler’s mating gland once more and groaning loud around the flesh while his teeth sink in. Tyler meets him in the middle, coming just then, though both of his hands are still clutching at Josh’s back, and Josh feels the spurts of Tyler’s come painting his skin unexpectedly, surely ruining his shirt. Josh inhales deep, stilling inside of Tyler where he’s knotted into him. He licks over his bite soothingly, tasting blood. They stay like that in silence, waiting for Josh’s knot to go down, waiting for it all to come crashing down, for Hell to actually freeze over, who knows.

What comes instead is a stretch Lincoln Navigator, which Josh recognizes as Debby’s car, and then Debby is stepping out of the back and approaching the pair slowly and cautiously.

“Josh,” She whispers carefully, her hands held up in a surrendering gesture as she continues to creep up towards them, “Come and get in the car, come on. It’s okay,” She says gingerly, finally reaching them. She reaches out and places a very gentle hand on Josh’s shoulder. A low rumbling growl emits from deep in Josh’s chest, but Debby continues. “I know, it’s okay. He can come too, come on. Anybody could see him out here, Josh, he’s too vulnerable. He needs a nest,” she reasons. This gets through to Josh, because she’s right. And she’s a genius. Josh shouldn’t be too surprised, it’s been four years she’s been dealing with Josh, and she’s spent a handful of ruts with him too, is used to dealing with his inner alpha. And apparently she knows exactly how to reason with said alpha. Josh grits his teeth and pulls out of Tyler. Both of them are soft now, and exhausted. Mating is an exhausting ritual, everyone knows that, and mating in an alley was not at all a smart move.

Josh carries Tyler over to the open car door, alternating between growling and whimpering all the while. Once they’ve both climbed in, Josh carries Tyler straight into the very back and wraps himself around the boy protectively. Tyler clings to him like he needs the protecting, and Josh holds him until he feels Tyler finally relax, and only then does Josh.

Debby has taken them to her parents’ summer home, and Josh leads the way from there, carrying Tyler into the house and straight to the guest suite, bridal style and very déjà vu. He lays Tyler gingery onto the bed and uses the wide array of lavish bedding provided in the guest suite to create a very high-end nest for his omega. He noses his way into the ball Tyler is curled up in, awaiting approval. Tyler immediately climbs into the nest and Josh puffs out his chest proudly before following him in.

They spend a full eight days closed into the suite, the longest rut Josh has ever had, or ever even heard of, making up for lost time, Josh supposes. He spends a full eight days fucking Tyler into the mattress, kissing him so deep and passionate they both end up in tears, and holding him in a tight vice-like grip while they rest intermittently. They wake on the ninth day feeling human again, rancid and unpolished and human. Josh rolls over to see Tyler watching him, and he scoots closer to him, pulling him back in and holding him just as tight as he has all week.

After hours or minutes, neither of them knows, Tyler grips a handful of Josh’s hair and pulls his head away, with some significant struggle. When Josh finally relents and makes eye contact, eyes glassy and brimming with tears, he looks back into a sweet honey, butterscotch color he hasn’t seen properly in four years.

“You never told me your name,” Tyler finally speaks.

Josh laughs, doesn’t know what else to do but laugh. He laughs and laughs, coughing out, “Josh, it’s Josh,” in between giggles, and then Tyler joins the laughter for all of one second before Josh sobers immediately, staring at Tyler with a look of awe. He has never seen Tyler smile, hasn’t known what he was missing, which seems impossible considering Josh has been missing _so_ much. But he hadn’t even known anything could be so beautiful, and now that he knows, now that he’s seen Tyler smile, he’s ruined for every sunset and wonder of the world. Nothing will ever come close to that.

Josh resolves then, that he can’t lose Tyler again. He will do anything he has to, but he won’t ever let anything separate them again.


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short and kinda underwhelming as far as updates go. I'm suffering from a lack of motivation but I'm working hard to find the drive to write. It really helps. <3

Tyler and Josh end up spending another day in bed after their cycles end, afraid to leave their bubble. Josh drags both of them out of bed, opting to carry Tyler when it becomes clear that he’s “too lazy, Josh—I mean tired!” and plunks him into the shower. He quickly changes out the bedsheets before he joins the other man in the shower, and it ends up being a more intimate affair than any they’ve shared so far. Something in the back of Josh’s mind tells him he’s ridiculous for feeling closer to this person than anyone before, despite the fact that he really doesn’t know him at all. Josh scoots up close behind Tyler, pressing his body against the omega’s and scrubbing the shampoo into his hair with rough hands. Tyler alternates between moaning and whimpering, and Josh ignores his flushing dick in favor of continuing to pamper Tyler.

“You can fuck me again, if you want,” Tyler offers, his voice barely louder than the spray of the shower. Josh presses his lips against Tyler’s shoulder and shakes his head so Tyler can feel it. He punctuates his headshake with a kiss before scooting back to scrub soap over Tyler’s back. There’s no way Tyler isn’t beyond sore, and Josh is feeling pretty worn down himself. Tyler stiffens, however, and Josh strokes a reassuring hand over his shoulder blades. “Some other time. Don’t pretend you’re not sore,” Josh says in a voice equally as quiet as Tyler’s. Tyler only relaxes minutely. “What?” Josh demands after a moment.

“You don’t want me if I’m not in heat?” Tyler replies after a short pause, sassy and demanding. Josh has to huff out a breathy laugh and roll his eyes before responding.

“Shut up,” he playfully headbutts Tyler’s shoulder blade for emphasis. Tyler huffs but relaxes fully before turning around to stare up at Josh. Josh, alpha that he is, rises to the challenge, squaring his shoulders and staring right back.

Their brief staring contest continues as Tyler steps forward to invade his space, and Josh finds that he isn’t the only one sporting a hard-on. Tyler moves closer with purpose, still looking into Josh’s eyes as his slides his erection against the alpha’s. Josh feels his dick react with a violent twitch, and Josh himself responds by gripping Tyler’s hip with one hand, covering the bruises he’s littered it with over the last several days. His other hand, he uses to reposition both of their cocks so they’re pressed against each other at the undersides, straight down to their balls, pressed just as snug together. Josh wraps his hand around both of them and slides it down their lengths slow and torturous.

Tyler’s eyes go half-lidded as he sighs, but he’s still staring at Josh, challenging him. With a challenge in front of him, Josh’s alpha is finding it much easier than it would usually be to keep his head on. While he might typically be falling apart already, he’s too competitive and stubborn to lose to an omega, especially this soon after his rut. Tyler presses his hips forward in little thrusts and continues to sigh, and Josh for his part just stares defiantly and strokes the two of them methodically. It’s only a few minutes before Tyler’s sighs turn to whines and his thrusts turn erratic, Josh twists his hand around the head, paying far more attention to Tyler’s than his own. Tyler starts to tremble and Josh abandons his grip on Tyler’s hip to wrap his arm around the man, under his ass, and picks him up to press him against the wall. Tyler’s legs open immediately, and Josh fits himself inbetween and strokes more aggressively as he holds Tyler up. It’s only another minute before Tyler is moaning out loudly, finally breaking eye contact to slam his head back against the wall as his hips twitch desperately and he comes over Josh’s fist and both of their cocks. Josh grunts and finally lets himself enjoy the pleasure he’s been ignoring. It floods him quickly, and then he’s burying his face in Tyler’s neck and breathing heavily as he tumbles after, their fluids mixing between them. Josh moves back to return Tyler to his feet, reaching up with his clean hand to rub over the back of Tyler’s head protectively. Tyler presses forward immediately, slowing at the last second, when his lips are millimeters from Josh’s, so that the kiss is soft and gentle. Josh turns his head a bit to slot his lips more perfectly against Tyler’s, cupping his face and stroking thumbs over cheeks and feeling dizzy with affection. When he pulls away, those honey irises are meeting his again, more emotions and depth contained in them than Josh feels ready to deal with. Josh keeps eye contact as he reaches behind Tyler with one hand for the soap, and breaks it to tilt Tyler’s head down with the other and press a kiss on his forehead.

They finish cleaning themselves in companionable silence, and then Josh dries Tyler off thoroughly before dragging them both back to the newly freshened bed, dampening the clean sheets as he only dried Tyler and not himself. They lie together for a few minutes, silent once again, before Josh speaks.

“Who else mated you?” he finally asks his burning question as he strokes one finger softly over Tyler’s mating mark, littered with scars that Josh has spent the last nine days covering. Tyler shrugs.

“I didn’t learn their names. Just various people. Whoever would pay,” Josh schools his face, doesn’t want to offend Tyler by showing the disgust and horror he feels. Tyler interprets Josh’s silence as an insistence to continue, and frankly Josh doesn’t know if he’d like him to. “When I was fifteen, I got this job as a busboy at a pretty nice restaurant. It was a pretty good gig for about six months. Then one night, I was taking out the trash and this guy out back approached me, one of the businessmen from a table I bussed that night. He was older, and told me his wife had died a few years before. He hadn’t been with another woman, because it felt like cheating. He had been with male betas, but of course he’d never met a male omega. We’re so rare,” Tyler mutters this part somewhat bitterly as he picks at the bedsheets, and Josh feels like a cold statue next to him. “Anyway, he offered me more than I make in a month to keep him company. I was in no position to turn down money like that.” He justifies. Josh finally snaps out of it, trying to be clinical and look at the situation objectively.

“Well, it’s not like you thought we’d ever meet again,” Josh supplies, trying to understand and find level ground. Tyler looks up at him then, seeming somewhat startled.

“Of course we’d meet. I was going to make damn sure of that. That’s what I needed the money for. Traveling from Ohio to California isn’t exactly cheap.” He counters. Josh feels his stomach drop. He feels like a piece of shit for giving up so easily, and all this time he had the money to go back to Ohio to find Tyler. But it wasn’t a life he knew, he would lose his parents and Debby, all for a stranger that he had met once that he was sure would’ve moved on. And meanwhile Tyler was selling his body to track Josh down. Josh feels burning in his stomach and his eyes, feels his face flush and his heart skip a beat. He’s having a panic attack, that suddenly and right in front of Tyler. Tyler has noticed Josh going rigid, and he’s tugging at Josh’s head to try and make eye contact. “Josh, hey hey, Josh. Hey. It’s okay, I promise. Josh, it’s okay!” Tyler insists, but Josh doesn’t feel okay. Tyler misinterprets Josh’s outbreak, making himself smaller and meekly apologizing. He thinks Josh is upset about his promiscuity.

“Don’t apologize to me, you’re not my property. You’re a fucking human being, you realize that, right? It’s not really okay. I’ve just been fucking sitting here this whole time, Jesus I don’t—“ Josh wants to say he doesn’t deserve Tyler, but it would be a clichéd understatement. He doesn’t know what else to say, feels overwhelmed and close to just exploding.

“Josh. I’m not your property. But I do belong to you. I have since the day you scooped me out of that ditch and carried me to the nurse. And I always will. But the people I slept with, they weren’t evil. It was sorta like charity. Most of them had lost their mates, or hadn’t found them yet. There are people out there with nobody, and you know that. We’ve been two of those people all this time.” Tyler was doing a good job at reasoning with Josh, but it didn’t ease his guilt. That part would settle into Josh’s bones, a burden he would simply have to learn to live with. He nods, letting Tyler know that he’s hearing him and that Tyler is doing a fine job of making everything okay. Tyler looks doubtful, but he has a certain liveliness to his eyes, just on the surface. Josh can see so much pain and too much thought, but over all that is a sheen of peacefulness that Josh remembers entering Tyler’s eyes the moment he pulled away from their first kiss. Josh presses another one against Tyler’s lips now, scooping him up into his arms.

“For what it’s worth, I belong to you, too.” Josh promises.


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh I'm so sorry these updates are SO HECKING INFREQUENT. I'm going through a lot of issues right now but I haven't abandoned these! Thank you for being so understanding!!  
> <3

“JOSH.” Josh hears his name from the living room, loud and in a tone more serious than he’s ever heard from Debby. He glances at Tyler and sees unexplained fear in his eyes.

“I’ll be right back,” he coos, attempting to offer some comfort to what he assumes is his omega being simply startled. He paces quickly towards the guest room door, flinging it open and bounding towards the living room without closing it behind him. Debby turns to glance towards Josh, nonplussed by his nakedness, before she turns her eyes back towards the television in front of her.

“Want to tell me why we’re harboring a missing child?” She deadpans. Josh follows her line of vision to the television where he’s looking at a high school photo of Tyler next to a blurry image captured from a video surveillance camera. The headline under the pictures reads: RUNAWAY MANHUNT – MISSING MALE OMEGA, VERY AGGRESSIVE. CONTACT POLICE IF SEEN. Josh stares dumbly at the screen for a handful of seconds before he’s turning on his heel and heading back towards the guest room from whence he came. Tyler is no longer on the bed where Josh left him, and Josh’s heart sinks.

He scans the room frantically, no Tyler, but no open windows either. He runs towards the bathroom until he can see that it’s empty. He feels his emotions rise, anger and panic at war within him. He hunches down to squat on the floor, and he can just spot a lump of shadows pressed against the far wall underneath the bed. His panic calms somewhat in spotting him, and anger wins out. Josh climbs under the bed just enough to grab Tyler’s arm, and he brushes off the déjà vu before pulling Tyler out by the arm. Tyler protests by whining, but Josh expected that. What he doesn’t expect is Tyler instantly cradling his arm where Josh’s hand had been the moment Josh lets go. Josh can smell his own anger, bitter and pungent. Tyler is practically cowering from him, and it hits Josh like a punch to the gut. They have a brief stare-off, far less fun than the proceeding one. Tyler ends it by breaking the silence.

“I was wrong, to do all this to track you down. I don’t regret it, because I would have wondered. But now I know. You’re not that guy, the one that helped me that day. That boy would not have ripped me out of my hiding when I was afraid. He wouldn’t have done this—“ Tyler removes his protective hand to show Josh the fingertip-shaped bruises already forming. “He wouldn’t have mated me in the middle of the streets. And he wouldn’t be angry at me for stopping at nothing to find him. I thought he would’ve been doing the same thing. But now I realize he wasn’t because he’s dead.” Tyler hovers awkwardly after finishing his short speech. “This is the part where I’d storm out. But I’m naked, so. Give me a minute.”

“What, so you’re gonna leave, after all this? _Now_ you want to give up on me?” Josh asks in a low voice.

“Now I see what you’ve become, and it’s not worth fighting for,” Tyler’s response is sharp and quick, and he’s hard and stubborn, nothing like the frail thing that was cowering under the bed minutes before.

“I’m not perfect, Tyler! Maybe that’s the biggest problem about all this time we’ve spent apart. It wasn’t missing each other, it was building unrealistic expectations for each other. All this time, you expected me to be the exact same person? Like you haven’t changed? Look at you! You’re stubbornly… dumping me? While you’re naked. And completely unphased by the angry alpha in front of you. That’s definitely not the same Tyler—“

“Oh, I’m so sorry I disappointed you by being braver and learning to take care of myself when my alpha wasn’t there to do it. You promised me, Josh. You promised me that you’d never let anybody hurt me again, that day. And you were fucking wrong. And I never let anything break me, all this time, until it was you inflicting the pain.” He gestures once more to what is now a darkening bruise, “Somehow this hurt more than all the times I was raped.” Tyler spits, stilling in his redressing to turn and shoot an accusatory look at Josh. Josh starts at this.

“Raped? But you said—“

“What I had to. I said what I had to. You were upset enough as it was.” Tyler is loosing steam quick, but he continues redressing, stopping only when he’s startled straight back into submission by a thunderous crack. Josh has slammed his fist through the guest room wall, which is actual mahogany paneling, and it snaps under Josh’s fist. Tyler whimpers and scurries back towards the bed, halfway there before he stops himself. Josh can see in his peripherals the moment that logical Tyler overpowers his omega instincts and takes control, turning back towards Josh incredulously. Josh doesn’t notice, is still staring at the spot where Tyler was standing before, his eyes like glass. A sour smell fans over Tyler like a stink bomb, and Tyler doesn’t recognize it, has no idea what he’s smelling. It’s only seconds before Debby rushes in straight for Josh, repeating his name and placing her hands over his shoulders.

“Joshie, you’ve got to come back to me, babe. Please, Josh.” Josh remains unresponsive, isn’t even breathing. Debby rounds on Tyler then. “What did you do to him?!” She demands hysterically, the sour smell filling the room and burning Tyler’s eyes. “Fix it! Fix him!” She commands, and Tyler obeys to the best of his ability, reacts the way he thinks the Josh he met four years ago would have. He steps forward and reaches for Josh’s wrist, the one attached to the fist still buried in the wall. He pushes the broken wood panel out of the way enough to tug Josh’s hand free, and he massages it around the palm, avoiding the bloody knuckles and likely broken fingers. He presses himself against Josh’s chest then, and pulls Josh’s head down to press his face against Tyler’s mating gland. Tyler scents himself and holds on, rubbing Josh’s hair with the hand still holding his head.

“Breathe, Josh,” Tyler whispers into Josh’s ear. And Josh inhales, one breath turning into several as Josh begins hyperventilating. Tears slide down his cheeks, but when Tyler looks into his eyes, they are awake again, and staring back at him with far too much emotion. All he can think to do is guide Josh back to the bed, so that’s what he does, gently pressing against his chest until the backs of his knees hit the edge. He goes down easily, and Tyler climbs in after him as quickly as he can, afraid of how Josh will react to Tyler leaving at this point. Tyler has never seen anyone in a more unhinged state than he sees Josh now. Tyler doesn’t know what else to do but spoon up behind Josh and hold him tight, scenting himself from where his face is buried in Josh’s neck.

Debby hovers by the door, too afraid to leave Josh’s side. She’s used to helping Josh through minor panic attacks, and knew right away by the smell that something was wrong. But she had never smelled it even half this strong, had never seen Josh go unresponsive. Nothing scared her more than the idea of losing her best friend to insanity. He always seemed so close to the edge as it was. She opts for sitting on the floor by the bed and holding Josh’s uninjured hand in one of her own, tilting her head back against the nightstand and staring up at the ceiling.

Josh can’t process anything but Tyler’s earlier words, echoing in his head mockingly, “You promised me.” “You were fucking wrong.” Josh’s heart feels like a black hole, high pressure sucking the rest of him in. He lets Tyler’s presence ground him, anchoring him to the bed and saving him from collapsing under the pressure of his own heart.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I'm SO SORRY it's taken me so long to update. My life has been so insane and I've been through some awful stuff. But I'm reclaiming my peace and rebuilding, thus returning to my hobbies. Sorry if I made you all think I was abandoning this! Also, fyi, it might not be so angsty from this point forward, I just don't have the heart for angst anymore. I want to be happy.  
> BTW this is completely unedited as always, I didn't even read over it. gg fam

It’s about fifteen minutes before Josh stops shaking. Tyler stays put, spooned up close behind him. Debby presses a kiss to his hand and pats his cheek gently before leaving the room, sensing that the two will need some privacy. It’s still another fifteen minutes before either of them speaks.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t respect your hiding place, and hurt your arm. I’m sorry I mated you in the street, I wish it hadn’t been like that. You deserve to be mated in some beautiful mansion somewhere with an oceanfront view and a giant bed with all the downy sheets you could dream of. But it couldn’t be that way for us, I suppose. I guess what we had was somewhat fitting,” Josh says this last sentence bitterly, rather than sounding like he’s excusing it. “And I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you like I promised. I’m so sorry I let you down. I’m so sorry I gave up so easily. I’m so sorry anything less than great things ever had to happen to you, and I wasn’t there to stop that injustice. You deserve everything great. I’m so sorry I couldn’t ever give you anything great. I’ll never forgive myself for that. I’m sorry I’m such a shit alpha. But please don’t leave,”

Josh’s plea is what surprises Tyler. After everything, he had expected Josh to simply tell him to go, that it would be for the best. He expected Josh to give up on them. Josh must sense his piqued interest, for he continues.

“You deserve better than me, so much better than I can give you. But I’m the one for you. I’m your mate. Despite how fucked it all is, we’ll never be able to find happiness without each other. And Maybe I’m just selfish. But I’ll fight for you, Tyler. I’ll fight forever. We deserve peace and happiness. We had a glimpse of it this morning. Maybe we can fight to get more moments like that. I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy. I know I screw up a lot, and I’m not the valiant, noble alpha I was when I met you. But with more time, I know I can be. I can be the alpha you deserve, otherwise I wouldn’t be _your_ alpha. Please give me another chance, Tyler. Please don’t go.” Tyler is torn between stunned silence and debating how to respond. They lay in their same position for long enough that Josh probably thinks Tyler’s been asleep the whole time.

In the end, he doesn’t know how to respond. Josh has poured his heart out, and it’s Tyler who feels he should be sorry. Josh has been sick with guilt from the start, and Tyler threw it in his face. But saying “I’m sorry too” seems like the most generic, bullshit reply, though he knows he’ll end up saying it anyway. He would rather show Josh how he feels. It’s all he knows how to do anymore. He presses a gentle hand to Josh’s cheek, tilting it towards himself. Josh turns his head agreeably enough, but leaves his eyes trained to an empty spot on the other side of the room, avoiding eye contact out of shame. Tyler is having none of it, taking hold of Josh’s face and tilting it upwards, forcing eye contact.

They stare into each other’s eyes for a few minutes, searching for answers to questions they’ve never asked. Josh’s eyes look afraid and ashamed more than anything, timid the way an alpha’s eyes could never be unless they were turned towards their omega’s. And lurking somewhere under those two, Tyler sees adoration. Complete and utter love. He presses forward then, sealing their lips and closing his eyes to release Josh from the obligation of their eye contact. Josh responds, but he seems slow and subdued, either stunned from Tyler’s unexpected response, or feeling too undeserving to be bold anymore. Either way, Tyler presses forward. He will be the bold one, if he has to.

Tyler climbs over Josh to straddle his waist, propping his elbows on either side of Josh’s head. His next move is to deepen the kiss, slotting his mouth open just enough for Josh to take the hint and mirror the action. When he does, Tyler licks at his mouth, tiny and tentative, just to make Josh aware of his intention. Josh reacts accordingly, licking into Tyler’s mouth. He’s still in charge, but it’s timid and gentle, just waiting for Tyler to stop things. Josh is still responsive, still human, and still incredibly turned on by kissing. This becomes painfully, deliciously obvious when he begins to harden under Tyler, and it is at this moment that Tyler remembers that Josh is still completely naked. He decides to use this to his advantage, slowly sliding a hand down from Josh’s shoulder to his chest, over his abs and down to the pronounced dip where his body heat is strongest. Tyler trails his hand down to Josh’s shaft, caressing his fingertips over it back and forth, in a very gentle and soft manner. Josh does not react, remaining stoic and level headed as he strokes the fingers from both hands through Tyler’s hair again and again. He stills after a moment, holding Tyler’s head still with hands cupped on his cheeks so he can move his head back and put some distance between them.

“Tyler—we don’t have to do this. I mean, maybe we shouldn’t? We should be talking this out. That’s how healthy mates handle things. And this is a big thing, Tyler, big thing.” His voice wavers here and there as Tyler continues to stroke his hands over Josh’s twitching member.

“We’re not healthy mates, Josh. Not by a long shot,” Josh looks crestfallen upon Tyler’s remarks, Tyler’s strokes over him all but forgotten, but Tyler goes on to clarify. “It’s okay that we’re not. Nobody would be, after everything that’s gone on. But we _are_ mates. And we’ll be healthy mates one day. Or maybe we’ll just be a couple of dysfunctional weirdos keeping all our friends on the edges of their seats all the time with our issues. Either way, we’re mates. I came here for a reason and we’re in this together.” Josh seems to lighten up just a bit at these words as he realizes that Tyler intends to stay after all. Tyler moves his hand back to the bed to join his other one, propping himself up as he continues speaking, looking Josh evenly in the eye.

“You were right when you said my expectations were too high for you. I had remembered you all these years as prince charming, and I didn’t think about the fact that being ripped from your mate and your home and having your whole life pulled out from underneath you might have had some kind of effect on you. And maybe you’d be different. And when I think about what happened… it’s really tragic, Josh. It should’ve been so beautiful and pure. But it just didn’t work out that way, and that’s okay. We’re different people than we were, and might’ve been if things had been different. But they’re not and the people that we’ve become are just as much mates as the innocent, naïve boys we were when we met. And we _are_ going to fight for happiness, even if it only comes in moments. And Josh, I’m _so_ so sorry for threatening to leave. I seriously overreacted, and I shouldn’t have thrown anything in your face like that. I really am okay. Now _please_ make love to me, Josh.” Tyler punctuates his final sentence with a slow roll of his hips over Josh’s, and Josh only bites his lip and moves his hips against Tyler’s accordingly, but he’s still looking into the omega’s eyes. After a beat, he nods almost imperceptibly, and a grin spreads over Tyler’s face. Josh lights up like a Christmas tree at the sight of Tyler’s wide smile, and then they’re just smiling big, goofy, toothy grins at each other, only just getting to really learn what the other’s smile looks like.

Tyler leans forward and rests his forehead against Josh’s, letting his smile fall slowly and naturally into a more serious expression as his lips get closer to Josh’s. Josh reacts more quickly this time, tilting his head up to press his lips to Tyler’s. This time, it’s Josh who deepens the kiss, taking the lead as Tyler expected of him. He moves with gentle precision, a tactic which Tyler is unfamiliar with thus far. Josh has been, up to this point, what anybody would expect of an alpha. Sloppily, aggressively dominant and demanding with pleasuring his omega. This time around, he’s treating Tyler as though the man were a delicate flower, all soft yet deliberate caresses and slowly evolving kisses. Tyler recognizes the weight of it; he asked to be made love to and clearly Josh intends to deliver. There is still heavy, palpable tension between them, the unspoken promise of finishing their talk later, asking the questions that hang silently in the air. For now, though, Tyler needs this. He needs the intimacy that comes with sex, needs Josh to be inside of him, the closest that two human beings can physically be.

He whines at the thought, quickly losing patience. Josh hears him loud and clear, his touches, though staying gentle, become more obtrusive, deliciously so. A hand on Tyler’s hip becomes a hand wrapped around his very obvious bulge, and a soft, open-mouthed kiss becomes careful yet deep strokes of his tongue into Tyler’s mouth. Tyler is helpless against it, whining and rotating his hips almost involuntarily. His resolve finally snaps and he sits up, pulling his shirt over his head before leaning back down to return to kissing Josh thoroughly. He pushes up a bit, so he’s hovering on his knees over Josh, their hips no longer flush. Now that Josh’s groin isn’t there to stifle the flow, it becomes apparent just how wet Tyler is, dripping down his inner thighs a bit. It’s very excessive considering he’s no longer in heat, and he figures his body is tapping into how much he needs this right now, _unlike_ _Josh_ who continues taking his precious time. Tyler decides that he’s having none of it anymore, flopping to the side to lay beside Josh, scrambling to remove the remainder of his clothes as he shucks off his underwear and pants in one go. He reclaims his place straddling Josh's hips, and pulls a bit where he’s gone back to stroking over Josh’s cock, which is insanely hard for someone moving so unhurriedly.

Tyler positions Josh’s cock to press against his opening, holding on to reinforce the press as he sinks down slowly, waiting for the give. When it comes, Josh sinks in slowly and Tyler removes his hand to grab for Josh’s. Josh’s hand is open palm-up by his own head, as though waiting for Tyler’s hand to join it. They lace fingers and Tyler slowly relaxes where is eyes are squeezed shut as he adjusts to the stretch. His eyes open to meet Josh’s; clear, dark mocha glittering with everything Tyler needs in the whole world. He presses forward to kiss Josh and escape the eye contact for himself this time, to overwhelmed with the intimacy of it all. Josh is thrusting slowly, but the hand that isn’t holding Tyler’s is gripping his hip firmly and pulling him down to meet his pushes forward, plunging so deep and hard into Tyler. It’s a lot, maybe more than anything Tyler has ever felt, maybe even more than when they mated for the first time. They are quiet, staying slow and deep, and deliberate, the only noises in the room their heavy, unsteady breaths and the quiet, wet sound of Josh sliding in and out of Tyler who’s becoming ever wetter. Tyler loses himself in the stilted orchestra and thorough stimulation, losing the ability to keep track of time. Hours could pass, maybe only seconds. Tyler is on another plane.

“Oh god,” Josh whispers, his forehead against Tyler’s and his brows furrowed, looking like he’s in pain. Tyler can feel his alpha’s cock twitch inside himself and he gasps, mostly in response to Josh’s very relatable statement.

“Josh,” Tyler whispers back, and Josh responds by moving his hand from Tyler’s hip up to behind his head, pushing up to kiss Tyler desperately. The kiss is deep and slow, just as all their movements thus far. Tyler pulls away abruptly to gasp, his orgasm taking him by complete surprise as it hits out of nowhere. Josh keeps moving forward and groans, deep and reverent, as he fills Tyler with heat from the inside out. They hold on to each other as they finish, Tyler rubbing off on Josh’s stomach and milking Josh’s finish with his desperate movements. It seems to go on for ages, Tyler shaking almost violently where he’s perched over Josh. They watch each other on the tail ends of their finishes, taking in the beauty of their mates. Tyler collapses after a minute or so, Josh’s cock slipping out of him as he squirms, moving down Josh’s body until he can rest his head on Josh’s chest, slipping his hand back into Josh’s. Josh strokes his other hand through Tyler’s soft hair, mussed after their activities in a way that makes Tyler look younger than everything he’s been through usually does. Combined with the light that fills his eyes when he looks up at Josh, he could be the boy Josh found in high school. Josh does his best to treat Tyler the way high school Josh would have.

“Ty…” Josh whispers tentatively and painfully, as if he is ashamed of himself for breaking the quiet bubble they’ve made. Tyler looks up at Josh and nods encouragingly, trying to keep his face looking calm and open to Josh though he knows what’s coming. “Tell me what happened to you. They raped you?” Josh softly demanded, a harrowing look wearing straight through his eyes. Tyler glances away before forcing himself to look back up to Josh.

“It… wasn’t the violent thing you’re picturing. I was an unclaimed omega wandering the streets. It was inevitable that a few alphas got a bit… primal. Because I accepted it as an inevitability, I didn’t fight or scream or yell. Afterwards, they were almost always apologetic. Kinda… sheepish. Like they lost control and were embarrassed. I got money out of most of them. A few of them were less than polite, just ran off after. But it wasn’t anything violent or horrifying. I was very good at hiding myself from everyone, and I always did when I was in heat. I guess it’s good that I did; I didn’t even realize anyone was after me for quite some time. Then when people started coming after me, in a way that seemed more pointed and less like they just stumbled upon an omega, and I started to get spooked. I felt hunted. So I fought back. I’m small, but I’m very fast and surprisingly strong. And nobody ever expects an omega to fight back, and the element of surprise helped me get some pretty serious hits in. So I gained the reputation of being violent, and apparently now I’m, like, untouchable. Ohio’s most wanted.” He seems smug as he finishes, smiling up at Josh.

Josh looks upset and deep in thought. Tyler trails a hand up to gently touch his fingertips to Josh’s face, in an attempt to bring him back to reality. He thinks he’s upset Josh, but when Josh speaks, Tyler realizes that the pensive look isn’t an upset one.

“I think I have a plan.”


	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out them tags.

“I think I have a plan,” Josh declares from where he’s lying under Tyler. Tyler waits patiently for further explanation, but he doesn’t receive one. “You said you’ve never been properly mated before, like during a heat, right? Just me?”

“Just you,” Tyler agrees immediately. Josh wraps his hands around Tyler’s hips and lifts him effortlessly, moving him to the side and rolling over to chase him, pressing a soft kiss to Tyler’s lips from where he’s now perched above him. “Get dressed,” he orders quietly, seeming somewhere between excited and terrified. Tyler, beyond questioning Josh at this point, simply obeys, dressing himself in his clothing articles as he finds them strewn about the room.

Josh is doing the same, quietly dressing himself piece by piece. They finish around the same time, Tyler just ahead of Josh, and then Josh takes a seat on the bed and stretches for his phone on the nightstand. He selects a number on speed dial and then he waits as the other line rings. The rings are abruptly interrupted and a soft but stern voice rings through with only a statement of “Mr. Walker,” leaving a silent demand to state your business.

“Mr. Walker, good afternoon. I know it’s late, but I need to see you as soon as possible.”

“What have you gotten yourself into this time, Josh?” Mr. Walker sounds one part tired, two parts amused, which sets Tyler more at ease. He didn’t know who this ‘Mr. Walker’ was, but he had a feeling this man was about to know who _he_ was.

“Something you haven’t helped me with before. I need to meet you somewhere discreet.” Josh answers quickly, sounding confident.

“I’m always discreet, Joshua. There is a Korean restaurant on fourteenth street next to the tailor’s you go to. Wonderful bibimbap. Meet me there in twenty and we’ll talk business,” Tyler can hear the other end of the conversation crystal clear, and he wrinkles his face at Josh as the call ends, who responds with a questioning look.

“You’re gonna tell him about me?” Tyler inquires nervously. Josh leans forward for another soft kiss, nodding only when he’s pulled away.

“Don’t worry about it Ty, I’d trust this guy with my life, honestly. And I’ve trusted him with so much already.” With that, Josh stands from the bed and holds out a hand for Tyler to take, which he of course does. Josh pulls him towards the door and back out to the living room where Debby has returned to watching the news. There is a small marquee on the bottom of the screen warning of the dangerous omega on the loose, but aside from that, the news has moved on to covering other stories.

“Debs. I need you to take us somewhere,” Josh states calmly. Debby looks confused, but nods without hesitation regardless. Josh responds to the confusion as he ushers Debby and Tyler out the door. “I have an idea. I need you to take us somewhere to meet someone,” Debby and Tyler share a look of disappointment in regards to Josh’s lackluster explanation, and Tyler feels a little tug in his heart at the prospect of sharing a moment with her. He certainly doesn’t want her to hate him, as important as she seems to be to Josh. They climb into the backseat as Debby climbs into the front.

“Look, I’m not great at driving this thing,” she warns nervously. Josh only nods, a faraway look in his eyes. She purses her lips, eyebrows displaying clear worry, but she starts up the limo regardless. The drive there is just over twenty minutes, and Josh looks more anxious the closer they get as he shouts directions from the back. Finally, they pull up, and Josh climbs out of the car quickly, gesturing for Tyler to follow as he glances around nervously. Debby drives away to find a place to safely park a limo, and Josh and Tyler head for the restaurant. Josh pauses after a moment and removes the hoodie he’s pulled on to hand to Tyler. Tyler pulls it on gratefully, pulling the hood up and letting the too-large garment swallow him, somewhat concealing him from any would-be prying eyes.

The place is nearly empty at this hour, most customers on their commute home, and Josh finds the man he’s looking for easily enough, stowed away in the back corner. The man, Mr. Walker, has shining chestnut eyes and light brown hair, almost a golden glow to it. He looks beautiful and soft, but incredibly intimidating in his demeanor. Josh takes a seat across from him, skipping over pleasantries, and the man seems unfazed by this until he looks up. Tyler has taken a seat next to Josh, and at this close range, the hoodie does not protect him. Tyler feels his stomach flip as recognition dances across the man’s face. None of this is lost on Josh, but Josh looks far calmer than Tyler himself is.

“Yeah, the one and only. We’ll get straight to the point. The male omega is my mate. I found him in high school. My parents didn’t want me with a male, couldn’t carry on the family name, gave them a bad rep, whatever. So they up and moved us to California, far away from my hometown in Ohio, where he was,” Josh nods towards Tyler as he speaks. “He found me here. And I guess he’s a fugitive now but isn’t there some sort of pardon? A protection law or whatever, to keep mates from being separated?” The man is quiet for a beat too long, absorbing the information he’s been given and carefully constructing a response.

“There is. But of course, there are a lot of stipulations to this. For starters, you must prove he’s your mate. They will DNA test both of you for traces of each other. Have you mated?” Josh only nods in response, and the man continues. “Good. That’s a start. Still, it’s not what I would call a pardon exactly. Tyler has committed assault, but according to the news stories, he’s only wanted for delivery back to his caregivers, and not for assault charges. If this is true, your position as his alpha makes you his caregiver now. It… has the bones of a good case. I just need to do some research, this is a little out of my area of experience. I’ll see what I can dig up tonight and report back tomorrow, until then, you both need to stay together, and lay very low. We don’t want the CRVRT involved, that’s gonna be bad for the case.” He looks up to make eye contact with Josh, and he must see in Josh’s eyes the same tension that Tyler can feel radiating off his body. “I’m gonna do the best I can to help, Josh. We’re gonna take care of this, man, don’t you worry.” He softens considerably from the intimidating businessman, and Tyler can see the profile of Josh’s smile. He reaches under the table to take hold of Josh’s hand, just as Debby appears tableside.

There is a tense moment of uncomfortable silence while the group decides who should speak first, but before anyone can shoulder the burden, Mr. Walker surprises the table by presenting a hand for Debby to shake. She reaches out on instinct, and as their hands touch, their eyes meet, and Josh and Tyler and anybody else looking could see two mates finding each other.

“Jon Walker,” He introduces himself, smiling up at her.

“Debby Ryan. It’s… nice to… meet you,” The last three words are slow and heavy, holding back the ‘ _finally’_ Josh knows wants to escape with them.

“Likewise,” He responds more quietly, still staring up into her eyes. After a beat, he slides over in the booth, inviting her to take a seat next to him. She takes him up on the offer and carefully sinks down to a seated position, still participating in the staring contest for a moment longer. She finally seems to snap out of it, and turns to Josh.

“So… what’s going on here?” She looks back and forth between the two of them, but they’re both stunned into silence by the meeting. Betas finding their mates is not the strong imprinting that occurs between an alpha and omega, but it’s still recognizable, still a big deal. And it lifts a weight from Josh’s shoulders of guilt he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying, because now that Debby had found her mate, the fact that they were supposed to be together was completely null and void. Tyler pipes up to throw Debby a bone.

“This is apparently Josh’s lawyer. They were discussing how we can find a legal way to keep Josh and I together without having to be in hiding for the rest of our lives,” he may not be as eloquent as the wealthy men at the table but that about summed it up just fine as far as he was concerned. Debby nodded gratefully to Tyler before turning back to Mr. Walker.

“Is it true, will you be able to help them?” She asked him excitedly, eyebrows turned up and unintentional pouty face directed full force towards the poor lawyer. He never stood a chance.

“I… W—I…” He paused to clear his throat, flushing pink in the cheeks, before slipping back into business mode. “Of course, I can’t promise anything but I’m going to represent him to the best of my ability, and I’ll do some research and make sure we’re covering the right bases and planning for the worst. I’m optimistic. I think we have a good base to work off of, and the court is usually very lenient towards mates. I think getting Tyler’s charges dropped will be a given. What I’m worried about, Josh,” He turns to Josh solemnly, “is your parents.” Josh grows pale as Mr. Walker continues. “They can and will press charges. And I’m just the young newbie they hired to keep their son out of their hair legally, but their lawyers? Those are the big dogs. Old men from old money with zero conscience. They will definitely remove your trust fund, but they’ll probably try to sue you for what you’ve already spent, and for whatever else they could sue you for. Defamation, slander, emotional trauma. Any way they can twist this, your mother will do whatever is in her power to drag you through the mud. She will have to publicly, legally, sever any and all ties you have to her, in order to preserve her pristine reputation. That alone will be enough to piss her off, but to lose her only heir? It’ll be personal, and she’ll take everything from you if she can. Including him,” Josh nods to Tyler, tucked under Josh’s arm and leaning into his side at this point. Josh is still pale, but he looks resolved.

“She took him from me once. She won’t take him again.” The two men nod at each other as Tyler and Debby watch the exchange, Tyler’s expression unreadable and Debby’s one of anxious concern.

+

The four of them somehow end up back at Debby’s summer home, Debby having convinced Mr. Walker with absolutely no effort to keep them company as he did his research. He had his laptop on him at all times, loaded with every law book imaginable at his fingertips. So far, no research hasactually taken place. They are on their third bottle of wine, eyes slightly shinier as they drink away their anxiety. Josh is the only sober one here, can’t bring himself to drink a drop on such high alert. Still, it is a social affair, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. That’s what people do in a high-stakes crisis—party. This place is a modern-day speakeasy. Tyler has been sneaking wary glances all night when he thinks Josh isn’t looking, but Josh is always looking. He tries to send Tyler reassuring smiles, but Tyler turns away every time, just as their eyes meet. After a few hours of this, Josh is just exhausted. They have a game plan, they’re hiding, that’s the best Josh can hope for, for now. He needs rest, and he needs to smooth out whatever is bothering Tyler, and he needs to give Debby and Jon some space to spend their first night as mates together.

“I think Tyler and I are ready to retire,” Josh announces in a moment where it’s quiet enough for him to be heard. The animated conversation comes to a halt as the air in the room quiets.

“Yeah, I probably need to get started on actually doing some research here. I have a lot of ground to cover,” Mr. Walker agrees politely. Josh is not naïve enough to think that any research is going to get done when there is new mating to worry about, but it isn’t Josh’s job to call him on it. Debby steps forward to hug Josh tightly around the neck.

“Get some rest, Joshie. We’ll take care of this,” she turns her head to whisper so only Josh can hear. “I’m glad you’re better. You really scared me today.” Josh can only nod, giving her a sincere smile as he pulls away from her embrace. He nods a goodnight to Mr. Walker, which is promptly returned, while Debby is pulling Tyler in for a goodnight hug now. Tyler seems pleased with this, a faint blush on his cheeks, and he strides over to Mr. Walker to shake his hand.

“Goodnight, Jon. Thanks for your help with all this,” He says sincerely, clapping a hand over Mr. Walker’s shoulder. It is so strangely… _un-omega_ , that it almost startles Josh. Jon just smiles easily at Tyler, clapping his shoulder right back.

“Of course, Tyler.” He responds just as easily, smiling and nodding once again at Josh. Josh attempts to smile, but he thinks he might have just pursed his lips instead. Tyler seems almost annoyed by this, taking Josh’s hand and pulling him towards the guest suite. Josh furrows his brows, feeling like he’s missed something important. He lets himself be tugged into the room and then Tyler drops his hand when Josh seats himself on the bed, and walks silently to the bathroom. Josh looks down, sulking guiltily and not even knowing what he’s guilty of. He hears bath water running and he starts to strip down and prepare for bed, assuming Tyler is taking a bath first, and won’t mind Josh brushing his teeth while he does so. When Josh is down to his boxers, he goes in to brush his teeth and sees Tyler watching the tub fill pensively. There is something going unspoken between them, Josh can feel it in the thick tension in the air. Tyler looks up very suddenly, and Josh feels frozen on the spot.

“Get in,” Tyler instructs in a low voice. Again, Josh second guesses Tyler’s status all over again. This can’t possibly be the omega he found crying in high school—this can’t be an omega at all. As Josh is thinking over this, he doesn’t even realize that he’s obeying, pulling down his briefs and stepping into the tub carefully. He sits stiffly in the middle, wondering how he even got there, as Tyler begins removing his clothes as well. Spaced out as he is, Josh can’t stop himself from watching quietly, still perched stiffly in the middle of the tub. Tyler doesn’t give him time to move before he’s climbing in behind Josh, pressing his chest to Josh’s back in the cramped space.

It’s only then that Josh realizes how tense he is, finally exhaling deep and letting his muscles relax. Tyler coaxes him into relaxing further, leaning back onto Tyler. Once he does, Tyler soaps up his hands and starts rubbing where Josh’s shoulders meet his neck, and Josh lets out an embarrassingly high groan. He hadn’t realized he was so tense. Tyler presses his forehead into the back of Josh’s hair, still rubbing at his tense shoulders. When they soften to Tyler’s liking, he drops his arms to wrap them around Josh, leaning his head on the alpha’s shoulder.

“I… I feel like I went somewhere,” Josh finally speaks. Tyler remains still, holding on to Josh.

“You did. I mean, you certainly haven’t been _here_ all night,” Tyler’s reply is somewhat muffled in Josh’s shoulder, but Josh understands.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know, I thought I was handling it really well and then I just. Wasn’t. I guess. I don’t know,” he trails off, sounding disappointed in himself. What a sad excuse for an alpha.

“Hey, Josh, it’s okay to be freaking out right now. This is a lot to deal with. Half the state is out to get your omega, the one person you’re supposed to protect. That puts you in a terrifying position. Not to mention, today has been a roller coaster of emotion. We just finished our cycles, emotions are super raw, we got in that huge fight and you had a panic attack, and despite all that, you were still the one who came up with a great plan, _and_ you introduced two mates! That’s something to be proud of. You’re a great alpha, Josh. I’m glad you’re mine.” Tyler raises his head as he speaks, and the last sentence is growled with Tyler’s lips pressed to Josh’s ear. Josh is instantly aroused, and clearly part of him is still alive at least.

Josh turns his head towards Tyler without thought, and Tyler is waiting there to press his lips to Josh’s. The kiss is more heated than Josh is ready for, Tyler’s mannerisms continuing to defy his omega status. He presses forward to lick into Josh’s mouth, reaching a hand up to clutch at a handful of Josh’s hair. Josh feels… owned. He feels like an omega. He’s submitting to Tyler. And he’s totally fucking okay with it. Tyler pulls away then, just as abruptly, and he stares at Josh patiently.

“Would you let me fuck you?” Tyler whispers into the space between their mouths. Josh’s eyes widen, and his breathing stops. He had never even considered such a thing. But now, as he stares into Tyler’s eyes, he’s not sure why not. He trusts this man to take care of him, and that’s what he’s doing. He’s taking over for Josh because Josh has dissociated in a sudden fit of unexpected anxiety. And submitting feels perfect to Josh right now, like exactly what he needs. He still bites his lip nervously as he nods. Tyler grins, so wide Josh can see his crooked bottom teeth. Josh can’t help but return a small smile of his own, and then Tyler is standing up, reaching over Josh’s shoulder to pull the plug on the tub and then patting Josh’s shoulder encouragingly, stepping out of the tub to give Josh room to stand.

After ensuring that both men are dry, Tyler leads the way into the bedroom, and he pats the very middle expectantly, silently asking Josh to lay down, which he does. He starts off easily enough, just kisses that start soft and turn harder and more purposeful. Tyler touches Josh all over, roaming his hands around Josh’s body like he always does, and Josh returns the gesture. Tyler doesn’t want to waste any time, feels like Josh needs this cut and dry. He has no idea if Josh is even capable of producing his own slick, so he procures some lotion from the nightstand door to help him along.

It's not an ideal lubricant, Tyler thinks as he spreads it over his fingers, but it will do. He probes one finger at Josh’s entrance, and Josh tenses up immediately, just as Tyler expected.

“Hey, you’re alright,” He reassures softly, rubbing his free hand in circles over Josh’s chest. Josh nods tightly, urging Tyler to continue despite his instinct to fight it. Tyler wiggles the finger around, in and out, as much as he can, trying to get Josh as prepared as possible for the next finger. He slips it in rather quickly, and Josh hisses, but nods again before Tyler can say anything. Tyler repeats the process, adding a third finger, and he crooks them and presses them in deep, trying to find the point of ultimate stimulation for Josh. He doesn’t seem to have success, Josh keeping his eyes screwed shut and his breathing labored. Tyler frowns and pulls up just a bit, more than he thinks can possibly be comfortable. He’s almost sure he’s hurting Josh, but he’s so desperate he doesn’t think about it until it’s too late and Josh groans. Tyler starts to apologize and pull back, but Josh reaches down and grips Tyler’s wrist, forcing his fingers back in and pressed up too far. He grinds down to meet Tyler’s hand, and then Tyler feels a gush of warm slick around his fingers. He gasps, feeling dizzy with how hard he becomes in that one second. He looks up at Josh, and Josh is already staring back, and they seem to reach an agreement with their eyes.

Tyler withdraws his hand, and Josh lets him, before they’re meeting in the middle. Tyler looms over him, kissing him hard, and again getting straight to the point. He uses his fingertips to guide himself to Josh’s entrance. Despite the prep work of three fingers, it is a very tight fit, almost painful as Tyler pushes in. But Josh doesn’t seem to be in pain, he looks enraptured. Tyler takes this for the green light it is, pulling back right away to press back in, setting an unforgiving rhythm immediately. Josh presses his head back into the pillow, whining long and higher than Tyler has ever heard from him. Tyler is encouraged, getting all sorts of ego boosts by Josh’s responsiveness.

He slams into Josh relentlessly, wanting Josh to finally let go of everything he insists on constantly carrying on his back. For all his effort, it does seem to be working. Josh has checked out of the building, is nothing but a whining, screaming, blissed-out mess. His eyes are slammed shut, but the few times Tyler catches them open, they’re glazed over in ecstasy. Tyler grabs a fistful of Josh’s hair once more, pulling roughly just because he can. He’s never been allowed to be dominant before, and he is startled by how deeply comforting it is to be in control for once. The only partner he’s ever fully trusted is Josh, but admittedly they don’t have much experience together outside of the cycle they just shared, which was something else entirely.

This is a special, sacred thing to Tyler. He is helping Josh through something, while safely getting to express himself, and together they are sharing something that neither of them have ever done. That realization has Tyler close to the edge, and he reaches down to cover Josh’s hand where he’s weakly attempting to get himself off. Tyler takes over with a brutal, unrelenting force and speed that has Josh screaming, and after what must be less than a full minute, Josh is coming in thick ribbons, pooling over Tyler’s hand and splattering up Josh’s stomach. The sight is the tipping point for Tyler, and he follows, taking his chance and leaning down to bury his face in Josh’s neck and bite down. He’s never heard of an omega biting an alpha, but they both have mating glands, and Josh is producing slick. It’s worth a try as far as Tyler is concerned. Josh is _his_ alpha, and while Josh owns his omega, Tyler wants to own his alpha right back. Josh jolts and squirms, whining quietly as he comes down. Tyler licks over his mating gland soothingly, and tastes Josh’s pheromones strong on his tongue. He growls low in his throat, enjoying himself before finally pulling back to look down at his handiwork.

Josh is gazing up at Tyler adoringly, and Tyler grins down at him in a smile so wide it actually hurts his face. Josh smiles back up at him, a real smile this time, with his perfect pearly-whites on display. Tyler leans forward to press a kiss against his lips, Josh meeting him halfway. The kiss is soft and quick, and Tyler can actually feel how exhausted Josh is. But it’s a good exhausted now, a thoroughly wrung-out, ready for real rest sort of relaxed. Tyler buries his face back in Josh’s neck, and they both wrap their arms around each other simultaneously. They don’t bother turning off the lights, or brushing their teeth. They are two mates wrapped in each other, and the rest of the world can wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this. It's my longest chapter yet! And it was exhausting to write so I didn't even proofread at all. I'll do that later. So if you see any mistakes, think of this as the RAW UNCUT version XXXX ;)

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK. It gives me life and makes me grow as a writer <3


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